47 impaired drivers caught during Brimbank blitz

Police caught 47 drink and drug drivers during a major road policing operation in Brimbank over the weekend.

Operation Corral, which was conducted over Friday and Saturday nights, saw police highly visible and enforcing across roads in the Brimbank area, including Sunshine, St Albans, Deer Park, Sydenham and Keilor.

The operation involved the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section, State Highway Patrol and the Solo Unit, utilising booze buses, highway patrol vehicles and police motorcycles to target impaired drivers and high-risk driving behaviour.

Over two nights, police conducted 4,144 preliminary breath tests, with 27 drivers caught exceeding the alcohol limit – a strike rate of one in every 153 drivers tested. Notable detections included:

• A truck driver had his three-tonne vehicle impounded after he was allegedly detected by police with a 0.126 BAC on McIntyre Road, Sunshine North on Friday night – more than twice the legal limit.

• A male driver also had his vehicle impounded on McIntyre Road, Sunshine North on Friday night after allegedly recording a 0.153 BAC – more than three times the legal limit.

• Police caught an unaccompanied female learner driver, with a female passenger and two children in the vehicle on Ballarat Road in Albion on Saturday night – she allegedly recorded a 0.030 BAC when she is required to be 0.00.

• A male driver with prior drink driving offences was caught on Ballarat Road, Deer Park on Saturday night with an alleged BAC of 0.111 and had his vehicle impounded.

A further 20 drivers also tested positive for drugs, with police conducting 214 roadside drug tests – a strike rate of one in every 10 drivers tested.

Victoria Police is warning motorists there is a zero tolerance to drink and drug driving, with significant penalties for those who disregard the rules.

First time offenders who are fully licenced and over 26 years of age caught with a blood alcohol limit between 0.05 and 0.07 will receive a $627 fine and immediate three-month licence suspension.

The penalties increase substantially for those under 26 years of age, those required to have a zero blood or breath alcohol level, those caught for second or subsequent drink driving offences, and those caught over 0.07 or above – including larger fines, longer licence suspensions, alcohol interlocks, attendance at court and even jail time for the most serious offences.

Exceeding the prescribed concentration of drugs while driving carries a $627 penalty and a six-month licence suspension.

Police detected a total 364 offences during Operation Corral, including:

• 50 speeding offences
• 34 disqualified / unlicenced / suspended drivers
• 27 defect notices
• 27 drink driving offences from 4,144 preliminary breath tests
• 20 drug driving offences from 214 roadside drug tests
• 17 impoundments
• 14 mobile phone offences
• 9 disobey traffic signs / signals
• 68 unregistered vehicles

Victoria Police will continue to conduct several major road policing operations targeting impaired drivers over the coming months.

Motorists should expect to be tested – anywhere, anytime.

Media Unit

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